Book celebrates making of 'Lonesome Dove'

The University of Texas Press has produced “A Book on the Making of Lonesome Dove,” a $50 coffee-table book filled with behind-the-scenes interviews and photographs about the epic novel and miniseries.

In a format similar to the UT Press book from 2007, “A Book of Photographs from Lonesome Dove,” this one packages John Spong’s interviews with 40 of the key people involved in the miniseries, Bill Wittliff’s photographs and snapshots from the set, and Jeff Wilson’s color plates.

The 840-page novel “Lonesome Dove” has sold more than 2.5 million copies since 1985, and the even more popular 1989 miniseries became the best-selling Western DVD of all time.

“While many fans identify ‘Lonesome Dove’ as the longest book they’ve ever read,” writes Spong, “they also say that they raced through it — and that it’s one of the few books they’ve reread.”

Actor Tommy Lee Jones, who played Woodrow Call in the miniseries, said when he read the book he didn’t want it to end, “so I would only read maybe 50 pages a day.” Robert Duvall (“Gus”) read it in 10 days.

“There were so many reasons (the miniseries) should not have gotten made,” says Wittliff, executive producer as well as screenwriter. “At that time, there was nothing deader than the Western, except the miniseries. And this would be both.”

“A Book on the Making of Lonesome Dove” grew out of Spong’s oral history of the book and miniseries for Texas Monthly magazine two years ago.

■ True Crime: Houston author Kathryn Casey writes true crime as well as the Sarah Armstrong mystery series. Her latest book is “Deadly Little Secrets” (William Morrow, $7.99 paperback, 432 pages), a non-fiction account of a minister, his mistress, and his wife’s death in 2006.

When Matt Baker’s wife, Kari, apparently took her own life, it made no sense to her friends and family, and they began raising questions that eventually led to Rev. Baker being charged with her murder.

If you like true crime, you’ll find yourself quickly engrossed in this story.

■ For Teachers: There’s a fairly obscure biblical character many of us might identify with – Eutychus (YOU-tuh-cus), the young man who went to sleep in church while Paul was preaching and fell out of a window.

Abilene Christian University Professor Houston Heflin has written a book for teachers called “Teaching Eutychus” (ACU Press, $13.99 paperback, 170 pages). It’s specifically aimed at church teachers, but could also apply to teachers at any level or venue, even college professors!

The 52 very short chapters offer practical advice and ideas for making lessons more interesting and challenging, thus engaging the Eutychusses in class and keeping them from dozing off.

GLENN DROMGOOLEWRITES ABOUT TEXAS BOOKS AND AUTHORS. CONTACT HIM AT G.DROMGOOLE@SUDDENLINK.NET.